Research Data Services (RDS) in Central Libraries of Public Universities Affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT)

Research Data Services (RDS) are defined as services that support the research data lifecycle. The purpose of this study was to identify the status of research data services (RDS) in central libraries of public universities affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) and to determine the status and identify its importance and requirements. The present reserch is an applied one in terms of purpose which has conducted in a descriptive-survey method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire consists of 4 parts and contains a total of 49 items. The statistical population consists of 94 managers of central libraries of public universities affiliated to the ministry of science, research and technology. Finally, 72 (76.59%) managers answered the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Research findings indicated that library managers have a positive attitude towards the importance of research data services and the more than 70% of them strongly agree that library data research services are of great importance. The findings also showed that all the requirements for research data services are very important. But based on average ratings, availability of appropriate technology infrastructure for research data services (8.85), development of enterprise repository software for research data management (8.85), existence of a research data plan for research data services (8.76), development of librarians' knowledge and skills in research data services (8.42) and librarians' desire to develop their knowledge and skills in research data services (8.33) were the most important requirements for providing research data services. In addition, currently, many libraries intend to perform research data services (between one to three years or more over the next three years), some of which have no plans to provide these services and few of them provide these services partially or completely.The findings also indicated that from the point view of managers the librarians' knowledge and skills of central libraries of public universities affiliated to the ministry of science, research and technology (3.1 average) are generally above average for performing research data services. Considering the importance of providing research data services by academic libraries, paying attention to the requirements of these services can be effective in improvement of performing the research data services in academic libraries. There is also a fundamental need to develop librarians' knowledge and skills in research data services. The results of this research can be used in universities, especially the central libraries of universities, to plan research data services.